Method of using dunnage assembly

ABSTRACT

A dunnage assembly that is quickly and easily installed within a shipping container and is easily reworked while remaining secure and adjustable during use is provided. The dunnage assembly of the present disclosure may also include a locking mechanism to keep the sling assembly securely positioned during shipping. Finally, according to one aspect the dunnage assembly of the present disclosure may collapse into the base of the shipping container, allowing it to remain mounted within the shipping container when the shipping container is collapsed for the return shipment back to be reused.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/926,193, filed on Oct. 25, 2019; the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to the field of shipping containers, more particularly the present disclosure relates to adjustable dunnage assemblies for use within a shipping container. Specifically, the present disclosure relates to adjustable dunnage assemblies for use within a shipping container that are easily and quickly mounted, installed, and reworked as dictated by specific shipping needs.

BACKGROUND

Dunnage, as used in relation to packaging and shipping, refers to materials that are used to protect goods being shipped from physical damage, moisture, contamination, or other environmental factors. Dunnage may vary depending on the type, size, and quantity of goods being shipped but may include items such as paper, plastic, airbags, cardboard, foam, fabric, wood, or any other suitable material. When shipping multiple smaller components, it is common to use slings or bags suspended within a shipping container to keep individual good separate from its neighbor and to protect the same from damage. These slings or bags are typically flexible and formed from fabric or other similar materials and are configured to provide multiple slots to accept individual goods therein. Often a single container may include more than one sling assembly, with each sling assembly having multiple bags to carry large quantities of goods within a single shipping container.

Typically, dunnage assemblies are mounted within a shipping container utilizing a frame, having multiple side rails and cross bars slidably connected thereto. Typically, the cross bars are connected to the side rails by a structure that envelops the entire rail or by sitting or resting on the top of the side rail. While versions including attachments that completely envelop the rail, such as rings or the like, are usually more secure, they are difficult to reconfigure or rework to accommodate different types of dunnage assemblies or different sizes thereof. Current version that utilize attachments that sit on, or rest upon, the top of the side rail are more easily reconfigured but are less secure and are prone to slippage and/or movement during shipping.

The side rails themselves, used to secure dunnage assemblies within the containers, are typically attached directly to the container via one or more brackets mounted to the side wall utilizing bolts or the like. Alternatively, the side rails may be inserted through holes drilled into the sidewalls of the shipping container. Each of these mounting solutions for the side rails may require a specific type of shipping container or alternatively may need to be adjusted when used with containers of varying types and/or sizes. Further, once these types of side rails are installed, they are often difficult to uninstall or remove.

As is common in shipping containers utilizing dunnage assemblies therein, the sidewalls of the container itself are configured to collapse to reduce the overall volume of the container when empty, which helps lower costs of shipping the containers back to be refilled with additional goods and reused. Current dunnage assemblies must be removed from the containers prior to collapsing and either stored or shipped separately from the containers themselves, thus increasing the cost of using current dunnage solutions.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure addresses these and other issues by providing a dunnage assembly that is quickly and easily installed within a shipping container and is easily reworked while remaining secure and adjustable during use. The dunnage assembly of the present disclosure may also include a locking mechanism to keep the sling assembly securely positioned during shipping. Finally, according to one aspect the dunnage assembly of the present disclosure may collapse into the base of the shipping container, allowing it to remain mounted within the shipping container when the shipping container is collapsed for the return shipment back to be reused.

In one aspect, an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may provide a method of installing a dunnage assembly comprising: installing a first side rail within a container; installing a second side rail within the container; connecting at least one cross bar to a sling assembly; connecting a first section of at least one slider assembly to the at least one cross bar; flexing a second section of the at least one slider assembly down over one of the first side rail and the second side rail to engage the respective side rail; and supporting the sling assembly, the at least one cross bar, and the at least one slider assembly between the first and second side rails and within the container.

In another aspect, an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may provide a method of collapsing a container with a dunnage assembly installed therein comprising: securing a first side rail in a first position within a container; securing a second side rail in a first position within the container; connecting at least one cross bar to the first and second side rails via at least two slider assemblies having a first section operably connected to the at least one cross bar and a second section operable to engage one of the first side rail and the second side rail, wherein the first section of the at least two slider assemblies is rotatable relative to the second section; supporting a sling assembly operably connected to the at least one cross bar between the first and second side rails; moving the first and second side rails to a second position within the container, thereby causing the sling assembly, the at least one cross bar, and the at least two slider assemblies to collapse within the container; and collapsing the container with the dunnage assembly enclosed therein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

Sample embodiments of the present disclosure are set forth in the following description, are shown in the drawings and are particularly and distinctly pointed out and set forth in the appended claims.

FIG. 1 is a top isometric view of a dunnage assembly of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a partial overhead plan view of a dunnage assembly of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation cross-section view of a dunnage assembly of the present disclosure taken along the line indicated in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a top isometric view of a slider assembly of the dunnage assembly of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a top isometric exploded view of the slider assembly of the dunnage assembly of the present disclosure from FIG. 4.

FIG. 6A is a side elevation exploded view of the slider assembly of the dunnage assembly of the present disclosure from FIG. 5.

FIG. 6B is a side elevation exploded view of the slider assembly of the dunnage assembly of the present disclosure from FIG. 4.

FIG. 7A is a bottom cross-section view of the slider assembly of the dunnage assembly of the present disclosure taken along the line indicated in FIG. 6A.

FIG. 7B is a bottom cross-section view of the slider assembly of the dunnage assembly of the present disclosure taken along the line indicated in FIG. 6B.

FIG. 8 is a side elevation cross-section view of the slider assembly of the dunnage assembly of the present disclosure taken along the line indicated in FIG. 4.

FIG. 9 is a top isometric view of a shoulder of the dunnage assembly of the present disclosure.

FIG. 10 is a side elevation cross-section view of the shoulder of the dunnage assembly of the present disclosure taken along the line indicated in FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a top isometric view of a mounting plate of the dunnage assembly of the present disclosure.

FIG. 12 is an overhead plan cross-section view of the slider assembly, shoulder, and mounting plate of the dunnage assembly of the present disclosure taken along the line indicated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 13 is a top isometric view of an alternate embodiment of a slider assembly of the dunnage assembly of the present disclosure.

FIG. 14 is a top isometric view of an alternate embodiment of a shoulder of the dunnage assembly of the present disclosure.

FIG. 15 is a top isometric view of an alternate embodiment of a mounting plate of the dunnage assembly of the present disclosure.

FIG. 16 is a top isometric view of a second alternate embodiment of a mounting plate of the dunnage assembly of the present disclosure.

FIG. 16A is a top isometric view of the second alternate embodiment of a mounting plate with additional notches formed therethrough of the dunnage assembly of the present disclosure

FIG. 17 is a top isometric view of a hook of the dunnage assembly of the present disclosure.

FIG. 18 is a top isometric view of a lock pin of the dunnage assembly of the present disclosure.

FIG. 19 is a partial top isometric operational view of the dunnage assembly of the present disclosure.

FIG. 20A is a side elevation operational view of the dunnage assembly of the present disclosure.

FIG. 20B is a side elevation operational view of the dunnage assembly of the present disclosure.

FIG. 21A is a partial top isometric operational view of the dunnage assembly of the present disclosure.

FIG. 21B is a partial top isometric operational view of the dunnage assembly of the present disclosure.

FIG. 22 is a partial top isometric operational view of the mounting plate and shoulder of the dunnage assembly of the present disclosure.

FIG. 23 is a partial top isometric operational view of the area of the dunnage assembly of the present disclosure indicated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 24A is a partial top isometric operational view of the alternative embodiment of the slider assembly and shoulder of the dunnage assembly of the present disclosure.

FIG. 24B is a partial top isometric operational view of the alternative embodiment of the slider assembly and shoulder of the dunnage assembly of the present disclosure.

FIG. 25 is an end cross-section operational view of the second alternative embodiment of the mounting plates of the dunnage assembly of the present disclosure.

FIG. 26 is a side cross-section operational view of the second alternative embodiment of the mounting plates of the dunnage assembly of the present disclosure taken along the line indicated in FIG. 25.

FIG. 27 is a top cross-section operational view of the second alternative embodiment of the mounting plates of the dunnage assembly of the present disclosure taken along the line indicated in FIG. 25.

FIG. 28 is an end cross-section operational view of the second alternative embodiment of the mounting plates of the dunnage assembly of the present disclosure.

FIG. 29 is an end cross-section operational view of the second alternative embodiment of the mounting plates of the dunnage assembly of the present disclosure.

Similar numbers refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference to FIG. 1, a dunnage assembly is shown and generally indicated at reference 10. Dunnage assembly 10 is shown inside a container 12, which is illustrated as a non-descript and generic shipping container 12. As used herein and discussed throughout it is contemplated that container 12 may be any standard or common shipping container typically utilized with a dunnage system, such as dunnage assembly 10. Therefore, unless otherwise stated, container 12 is considered to be a general reference to a shipping container and not a limiting feature of dunnage assembly 10.

At its most basic, dunnage assembly 10 may be inserted within container 12 and may further include a first side rail 14, a second side rail 16, a plurality of cross bars 18, a plurality of slider assemblies 20, a sling assembly 21 that is configured to create a plurality of bags 24, a first mounting plate 26, a second mounting plate 28, a third mounting plate 30 and a fourth mounting plate 32. Dunnage assembly 10 may further include a plurality of shoulders 34 configured to connect the side rails 14, 16 to the mounting plates 26, 28, 30, and/or 32.

As best seen in FIG. 3, dunnage assembly 10 may be sized to allow more than one assembly 10 to be housed within a single container 12. For example, in these configurations, a first dunnage assembly 10A may have the elements and components as discussed above, namely, a first side rail 14A, second side rail 16A, a plurality of cross bars 18A, a plurality of slider assemblies 20A, a sling assembly 21A, and shoulders 34A. A second dunnage assembly 10B may likewise include a first side rail 14B, second side rail 16B, a plurality of cross bars 18B, a plurality of slider assemblies 20B, a sling assembly 21B, and shoulders 34B. Both first and second dunnage assemblies 10A and 10B may be substantially identical and may share first, second, third, and fourth mounting plates 26, 28, 30, and 32, as shown in the figures and discussed further herein. For ease of disclosure, each of these components will be discussed with general reference to dunnage assembly 10 with the express understanding that the disclosure provided herein is equally applicable to first and/or second dunnage assemblies 10A and 10B, unless specifically stated otherwise. Similarly, general references to the components of dunnage assembly 10, namely, first side rail 14, second side rail 16, the plurality of cross bars 18, the plurality of slider assemblies 20, sling assembly 21, bags 24, first mounting plate 26, a second mounting plate 28, third mounting plate 30, fourth mounting plate 32, and shoulders 34, are understood to apply to the same components of first and/or second dunnage assemblies 10A and 10B, unless specifically stated otherwise.

With reference to FIGS. 1-3, first side rail 14 and second side rail 16 may be substantially cylindrical in shape and may extend from a first end 36 to a second end 38 of container 12. First and second side rails 14, 16 may differ in only that first side rail 14 may be adjacent and parallel to a first side 40 of container 12 while second side rail 16 may be adjacent and parallel to a second side 42 of container 12.

First and second side rails 14, 16 may be formed of any suitable material provided it is strong enough to resist bending while fully supporting the weight of the sling assembly 21 and the associated items being shipped therein. According to one aspect, first and second side rails 14, 16 may be formed of galvanized steel and may be solid or tubular according to the desired implementation. According to another aspect, first and second side rails 14, 16 may be formed of any material, including but not limited to, other metals, plastics, wood or other the like. First and second side rails 14, 16 may be connected to the first and second ends 36, 38 of container 12 via the first through fourth mounting plates 26, 28, 30, and/or 32 and the shoulders 34 as discussed further herein.

The plurality of cross bars 18 may extend transversely between first and second sides 40, 42 of container 12, terminating at or near the first and second side rails 14, 16. Cross bars 18 may be hollow cylindrical tubes and may be formed of any suitable material including metal, plastic, wood, or the like. According to one aspect, cross bars 18 may be galvanized steel.

Cross bars 18 may be connected to first and second side rails 14, 16 via a plurality of slider assemblies 20, with one slider assembly 20 at each end of each cross tube 18, as discussed further below. Cross tubes 18 may be used to support the sling assembly 21 and bags 24. According to one aspect, the hollow interior 19 of cross bars 18 may extend the entire length of the cross bars 18. According to another aspect, a central portion of cross bars 18 may be solid with hollow openings disposed at each end of cross bars 18.

With continued reference to FIGS. 1-3, sling assembly 21 may have a body 22 and plurality of bags 24 formed therein. Bags 24 may be separated by a plurality of loops 23 which may serve as the point of interaction with cross bars 18, as discussed herein. Loops 23 and bags 24 may be formed by folding or otherwise bending sling body 22 over itself and stitching or otherwise affixing portions of body together to form loops 23 therein. The additional portions of body 22 between loops 23, together with a series of side walls 25 may form bags 24, which may store goods therein for shipping. Sling assembly 22 may be formed from any suitable material, including fabric, canvas, plastic, or the like, provided it is durable and able to support the weight of the goods shipped therein. According to one aspect, sling assembly 22 may be formed of a single piece of material. According to another aspect, sling assembly 22 may be formed of individual pieces and assembled into the assembly 22 as shown.

Sling assembly 21 may have any number of bags 24 formed therefrom or therewith as dictated by the particular needs of the dunnage assembly 10. The number of bags 24 may be limited only by the space available in any given container 12 being used with dunnage assembly 10.

Within reference to FIGS. 4-8, slider assemblies 20 are shown as a two-piece assembly having a first section 44 and a second section 46. First section 44 is contemplated as the portion of slider assembly 20 that operably connects with the cross bars 18, as discussed further below. First section 44 may include a body 48 and a tube arm 50. Body 48 of first section 44 may have a base 52 that is perpendicular to an upright member 54 and fixedly connected thereto. Base 52 may have a slot 56 defined therein for pivotal connection to the second section 46 as discussed further below. Slot 56 may be formed from a top surface 53 of base 52 and a c-shaped flange 57 formed below the base 52, as best seen in FIG. 7A.

Tube arm 50 may extend perpendicularly from upright member 54 and may be generally parallel to top surface 53 of base 52. Tube arm 50 may be sized to fit within the hollow interior 19 of cross bars 18 and may have a slight taper 58 at the end 60 farthest away from upright member 54 to facilitate the insertion of tube arm 50 into cross bars 18. According to another aspect not shown in the figures, tube arm 50 may be a hollow cylindrical tube with an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of cross bars 18 to facilitate the insertion of cross bars 18 into tube arm 50.

According to one aspect, tube arm 50 may have a plus-shaped or T-shaped cross section to facilitate the connection with cross bars 18, as well as to allow a slidable engagement therewith, as discussed further below. According to another aspect, tube arm 50 may have any suitable cross section provided tube arm 50 retains the ability to slidably engage with cross bars 18.

First section 44, including base 52, upright member 54 and tube arm 50 may be constructed as a single piece and formed from any suitable material including plastic, metal, or the like and may be fabricated using any suitable manufacturing method. According to one aspect, first section 44 may be molded from nylon as a single piece. According to another aspect, base 52 and upright member 54 of first section 44 may be formed separately from tube arm 50 and fixedly connected thereto through any suitable means including adhesives, epoxy, welding, or mechanical fasteners such as screws, rivets, or the like.

Second section 46 is contemplated as the portion of slider assembly 20 that connects the first section 44 (and cross bars 18) to the side rails 14 and 16, as discussed below. Second section 46 may have a generally c-shaped clip body 62 which may extend in a generally downward direction and may be sized to clip over first and/or second side rails 14, 16 to slidably engage side rails 14, 16. Clip body 62 may have an outer surface 64 and an inner surface 66. Extending upwards from outer surface 64 of clip body 62 may be a mounting shoulder 68, which may engage within slot 56 defined in base 52 of first section 44. Specifically, mounting shoulder 68 may have a plate 70 that engages the slot 56 and a neck 72 that engages flange 57 of base 52, as discussed further below.

Second section 46, including clip body 62 and mounting shoulder 68 may be formed as a single piece using any suitable manufacturing method and may be formed of any suitable material such as plastic, metal, or the like. According to one aspect, second section 46 may be formed of a rigid material provided that material has enough flexibility to allow clip body 62 to snap over side rails 14, 16 without permanently deforming or breaking. According to this aspect, second section 46 may be formed of a nylon polyamide or a similar polymer.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 6A-8, the first section 44 and second section 46 may be assembled into a single slider assembly 20 by engaging the slot 56 of base 52 with the mounting shoulder 68 of clip body 62. Specifically, as seen in FIGS. 6A and 7A, slot 56 may be aligned with plate 70 of mounting shoulder 68 and moved towards and into contact with clip body 62 in the direction of arrow AA indicated in FIGS. 6B and 7B. As base 52 and mounting shoulder 68 come in contact, flange 57 surrounding slot 56 may engage neck 72 of mounting shoulder 68 while slot 56 envelops plate 70 of mounting shoulder 68. The C-shaped flange 57 may create a friction lock or friction clip with the neck 72 to keep the first section 44 securely fastened to second section 46 while still allowing 360° rotation around a vertical axis defined through the center of mounting shoulder 68, as best seen in FIG. 8 as Axis A. As discussed further below, the rotation of first section 44 relative to second section 46 may allow for slider assemblies 20 to be moved along first and second side rails 14, 16 without binding and may further allow cross bars 18 to be angled relative to first and second side rails 14, 16 to accept items of greater size.

With reference to FIGS. 9-12, a representative shoulder 34 and a representative mounting plate, which could be any of first, second, third or fourth mounting plates 26, 28, 30, and/or 32 are shown and will now be described. With reference to FIGS. 9 and 10, shoulder 34 may include a cylindrical body 74, a collar flange 76, and a lock arm 78. Shoulders 34, including cylindrical body 74, collar flange 76 and lock arm 78, may be formed as a single piece out of any suitable material including plastic, polymer, resin, metal, or the like, and may be formed using any suitable manufacturing method. Shoulders 34 may have a central opening 80 defined through the cylindrical body 74 and the collar flange 76. The central opening 80 may be sized to accept an end of the first or second side rail 14, 16 therein, as discussed further below.

Lock arm 78 may be attached to an outer surface 82 of cylindrical body 74 and may extend outwardly therefrom with a first end 84 of lock arm adjacent the collar flange 76 and a second end 86 of lock arm 78 spaced apart longitudinally therefrom. Second end 86 may have an angled terminus 88 that may be angled back towards an imaginary center line C extending through the central opening 80 of shoulder 34. The angled terminus 88 may allow lock arm to interact with slider assemblies 20 to lock them in position as discussed below.

With reference to FIG. 11, a representative mounting plate is shown and indicated as first mounting plate 26. Despite being indicated therein as first mounting plate 26, it will be understood that the mounting plate depicted in FIG. 11 could be any of first mounting plate 26, second mounting plate 28, third mounting plate 30 or fourth mounting plate 32 as each of the first through fourth mounting plates 26, 28, 30 and 32 are contemplated to be substantially similar or identical but for their placement within container 12. More particularly, first and third mounting plates 26 and 30 may be identical to each other while second and fourth mounting plates 28 and 32 may also be identical to each other. First and third mounting plates 26 and 30 may be mirror images of second and fourth mounting plates 28 and 32, but substantially identical in construction and features otherwise. Therefore, as used throughout, references to mounting plate 26 is understood to equally apply to second, third, and fourth mounting plates 28, 30, and/or 32, unless specifically stated otherwise.

Mounting plate 26 may have a first side edge 90 spaced apart from a second side edge 92 and defining therebetween a horizontal or transverse direction. First side edge 90 may be the side edge oriented towards the outside of container 12 (and nearest first and second sides 40 and 42 of container 12) when mounting plate 26 is installed therein, as discussed below. First mounting plate 26 may also have a top edge 94 spaced apart from a bottom edge 96 and defining therebetween a vertical direction. First mounting plate 26 may have an inner face 98 defined as the face oriented towards the interior of container 12 when installed therein. Inner face 98 may be spaced apart from an outer face 100, with the outer face 100 being defined as the face of mounting plate 26 oriented towards the outside or towards the outer walls (e.g. first and second ends 36 and 38) of container 12 when installed therein. Mounting plate 26 may have a rounded corner 102 positioned at the intersection of the top edge 94 and second side edge 92. This rounded corner 102 may be oriented to be the innermost top side of mounting plate 26 when mounting plate 26 is installed within container 12. This rounded corner 102 may serve to help indicate the proper positioning of mounting plate 26 for installation in container 12 as well as may prevent injuries and/or damage to other components of dunnage assembly 10 by eliminating a sharp corner/edge at the top 94 and interior (second) side 92 of mounting plate 26.

Defined through mounting plate 26 may be one or more shoulder 34 mounting apertures 104 which may be configured to accept the shoulders 34 therethrough. Mounting apertures 104 may be defined through the thickness of mounting plate 26 and may be generally circular with an extended notch 106 corresponding to the lock arm 78 of shoulders 34. The circular portion 108 of mounting apertures 104 may be sized to accept the cylindrical body 74 of shoulders 34 while lock arm 78 may pass through the aforementioned notch 106. Collar flange 76 of shoulders 34 may be larger than the circular portion 108 of mounting apertures 104 to prevent shoulders 34 from passing all the way through mounting plate 26 through the interaction of collar flange 76 with the outer face 100 of mounting plate 26. As seen throughout the figures, particularly FIGS. 3 and 11, where more than one dunnage assembly 10 e.g. an upper dunnage assembly 10A and a lower dunnage assembly 10B are to be used, mounting plate 26 may be equipped with two mounting apertures 104 arranged with one spaced vertically apart from the other. According to another aspect, mounting apertures 104 may be arranged in any configuration determined by the specific dunnage needs and implementation of dunnage assembly(ies) 10.

With reference to FIG. 12, an overhead cross section of dunnage assembly 10 is taken along the line indicated in FIG. 1 and shows the interaction of mounting plate 26, shoulder 34, side rail 14, 16, slider assembly 20 and container 12. The mechanisms of operation for these components will be discussed further below; however, as shown in FIG. 12, it can be seen that the collar flange 76 of shoulder 34 is between mounting plate 26 and the first end 36 of container 12 while the remainder of shoulder 34 extends through the mounting aperture 104 in mounting plate 26 while simultaneously engaging with clip body 62 of slider assembly 20 and with first side rail 14.

With reference to FIGS. 13-15, alternative embodiments of slider assemblies 20, mounting plates 26, 28, 30, and 32, and shoulders 34 are shown and indicated as sliders 220, mounting plate 226 and shoulders 234, respectively. These alternate embodiments may be substantially similar to their earlier described counterparts, with the exceptions of the specific differences discussed herein.

With references to FIG. 13, slider 220 may have a first section 244 and a second section 246 that are substantially similar to tube section 44 and second section 46 of slider assembly 20 except that they may be intricately formed as a single piece, eliminating slot 56, flange 57 and mounting shoulder 68 and instead joining upright member 254 directly to the outer surface 264 of clip body 262. Tube arm 250 may extend from upright member 254 and may be fixedly attached thereto.

With reference to FIG. 14, shoulder 234 may be substantially similar to shoulder 34 with the exception that lock arm 278 may extend upwards and curve up and away from cylindrical body 274 for operational connection with upright member 254 of slider 220 (as best seen in FIGS. 24A and 24B, and discussed further below).

With reference to FIG. 15, as with mounting plate 26, it will be understood that references to mounting plate 226 may be directed to any of first, second, third, or fourth mounting plates 226, 228, 230, and/or 232, and are only referenced as first mounting plate 226 herein for ease of disclosure and for clarity. Therefore, unless otherwise stated, this alternative embodiment of mounting plate 226 may be utilized as first, second, third, and/or fourth mounting plates 226, 228, 230, and/or 232, as dictated by the desired implementation. This embodiment of mounting plate 226 may be substantially similar to mounting plate 26 except that mounting aperture 304 may be oriented such that notch 306 is aligned vertically to accept lock arm 278 of shoulder 234 therethrough. As with mounting plate 34, mounting plate 234 may include multiple mounting apertures 304 defined therethrough for use with additional dunnage assemblies, e.g. dunnage assemblies 10A and 10B.

With references to FIGS. 16 and 16A, a second alternative embodiment of mounting plate is shown and generally indicated at 526. Mounting plate 526 may be similar to mounting plate 26 and/or 226 in construction and materials, but may differ in the ways discussed below. As with mounting plates 26 and 226, mounting plate 526 may be utilized as a first mounting plate 526, second mounting plate 528, third mounting plate 530, or fourth mounting plate 532; however, again for purposes of ease and clarity in this disclosure, it will be discussed as mounting plate 526 and may apply to each of the first, second, third, and/or fourth mounting plates 526, 528, 530, and/or 532, unless specifically stated otherwise.

Mounting plate 526 may differ from previous embodiments of mounting plate 26 and 226 in that mounting plate 526 may be formed of two separate pieces, namely, an upper plate 610 and a lower plate 612 that may be connected or otherwise seated together at a joint 614 therebetween. Joint 614 may alight with hinge 122 of container 12, or more particularly hinge 122 of end walls 36, 38 of container 12 to allow upper plate 610 to rotate downwards relative to lower plate 612 when collapsing container 12 for return shipping, as discussed further below with regards to the operation of container 12 and mounting plates 526. According to another aspect, joint 614 may be hinged with any suitable hinging mechanism that allows the upper plate 610 to rotate relative to lower plate 612.

Another difference between mounting plate 526 and mounting plates 26 and 226 is that the mounting apertures 104, 304 defined through mounting plates 26 and 226 respectively have been replaced by a central channel 616, which may allow shoulders 34 or 234 and the first and second side rails 14, and 16 to move vertically therein, as discussed further below. This central channel 616 may allow the sling assembly 21 and bags 24 to be collapsed into the interior of container 12 for storage and return shipping as discussed further below.

With reference to FIGS. 17 and 18, a securing mechanism is shown as a rotatable hook 618 (FIG. 17) and lock pin 620 (FIG. 18). Rotatable hook 618 may be formed of any suitable rigid material provided it is structurally supportive enough to hold the weight of sling assembly 21, bags 24, and any goods contained therein, as discussed further below. Rotatable hooks 618 may be affixed to mounting plates 526, 528, 530, and/or 532 via a screw, bolt, or other fastener about which hooks 618 may rotate.

Locking pin 620 may be any suitable securing mechanism to hold rotatable hook 618 in position when the sling assembly 21 and bags 24 are installed as discussed further herein. According to one example, as shown in FIG. 18, locking pin 620 may be a spring ball lock pin. According to another aspect, locking pin 620 may be a bolt, screw, cotter pin, or any other suitable locking device or securing mechanism. According to another aspect, hook 618 may include a securing mechanism thereon or formed therewith, or may interact with mounting plate 523 in such a manner as to allow locking pin 620 to be omitted.

With reference to FIG. 16A, mounting plate 526 is shown having additional notches 606 formed with the central channel 616 to accommodate lock arm 78 when mounting plate 526 is used in conjunction with slider assemblies 20, as discussed further below. According to another aspect (not shown), notches 606 may be configured to allow use of shoulders 234 with mounting plate 526.

Having thus described the elements and components of dunnage assembly 10, the assembly and operation thereof will now be discussed.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 19-21B, dunnage assembly 10 may be assembled and installed within container 12 quickly and easily without regard to the specific brand, type, or configuration of container 12. To install dunnage assembly 10 within container 12, shoulders 34 may be inserted through the mounting apertures 104 of mounting plates 26, 28, 30, and 32. Mounting plates 26, 28, 30, and 32 may then be installed in the corners of container 12 and may be affixed to the first and second ends 36 and 38 of container 12 using screws (as shown in the figures), bolts, or the like to secure the mounting plates 26, 28, 30, and 32 in position. Mounting plates 26, 28, 30, and 32 may be oriented such that the rounded corner 102 thereof may be at the top and towards the inside of container 12.

First side rail 14 and second side rail 16 may be installed with the ends thereof inserted into shoulders 34 such that side rails 14, 16 may extend between two mounting plates 26, 28, 30, and 32 and parallel to a side of container 12. For example, first side rail 14 may extend from first mounting plate 26 to second mounting plate 28 along first side 40 of container 12 as best seen in FIG. 1 while second side rail 16 may extend between third mounting plate 30 and fourth mounting plate 32 along the second side 42 of container 12.

With the first, second, third and fourth mounting plates 26, 28, 30, and 32, shoulders 34, and first and second side rails 14 and 16 installed within container 12, the sling assembly 21, cross bars 18 and slider assemblies 20 may be assembled. As best seen in FIG. 19, to connect sling assembly 21 with cross bars 18 and slider assemblies 20, the cross bars 18 may first be inserted through the loops 23 formed between bags 24 in the direction of arrow BB in FIG. 19. If using two-piece slider assemblies 20, they may be assembled with the first section 44 and second section 46 married together as discussed previously herein, prior to inserting the tube arm 50 into the cross bars 18, in the direction of arrow CC in FIG. 19. Once assembled and fully inserted therein, the sling assembly 21, cross bars 18 and slider assemblies 20 will appear mated as shown in FIGS. 19 and 20A, and 20B. If utilizing one-piece siders 220, they may simply be inserted in cross bars 18 without the need for prior assembly.

Once the sling assembly 21 is assembled with all cross bars 18 and slider assemblies 20 connected thereto, the slider assemblies 20 may be attached to the first and second side rails 14, 16, as best seen in FIGS. 20A and 20B. Specifically, the clip body 62 may be placed on top of the side rails 14, 16 (FIG. 20A) and force may be applied in the direction of arrow DD in FIG. 20B to cause clip body 62 to engage with side rails 14, 16. In this position, inner surface 66 of clip body 62 will be in contact with side rails 14, 16 while clip body 62 will maintain this contact until removed from side rails 14, 16. The c-shape of clip body 62 further facilitates slidable movement of slider assemblies 20 along the length of side rails 14, 16, as discussed further herein.

With reference to FIG. 21A, the fully assembled dunnage assembly 10 will have the tube arms 50 of slider assemblies 20 inserted into the interior 19 of cross bars 18, which in turn will be inserted through loops 23 of sling assembly 21.

When utilizing more than one dunnage assembly 10 in a single container 12, such as when using dunnage assemblies 10A and 10B, as illustrated in FIG. 3, each dunnage assembly 10A, 10B, may be installed in similar fashion, with the shoulders 34 inserted into the mounting plates 26, 28, 30, and 32, the mounting plates 26, 28, 30, and 32 and side rails 14 and 16 installed within the container 12, and then the remaining dunnage assembly 10A and 10B components installed according to the method above. Similarly, other embodiments, such as mounting plates 226, 228, 230, and 232, mounting plates 526, 528, 530, and 532, sliders 220, and/or shoulders 234 may be similarly installed within container 12.

With reference to FIGS. 21A-23, the operation of dunnage assembly 10 will now be described when utilizing slider assemblies 20 as the connection between sling assembly 21, cross bars 18, and first and second side rails 14, 16. As best seen in FIG. 21A, cross bars 18 extend through loops 23 on sling assembly 21 delineating bags 24 from each other while engaging with first and second side rails 14, 16 via slider assemblies 20. Tube arm 50 may extend a partial distance into a hollow interior 19 of cross bars 18. When oriented as shown in FIG. 21A, cross bars 18 extend generally perpendicularly to first and second side rails 14, 16 and allow sling assembly 21 and bags 24 to hold goods for shipping. In this configuration, the goods that may fit in bags 24 may have a maximum size defined by the width of container 12 or slightly shorter than the width of the container 12.

As best seen in FIG. 21B, slider assemblies 20 may be slid along side rails 14, 16, for example, in the direction indicated by arrows labeled EE in FIG. 21B. In current dunnage systems, when sliders are moved, cross bars must be moved equally with the opposite slider on the opposite side rail moved simultaneously to keep the cross bars properly aligned. If this is not done in current systems, the sliders tend to twist and bind with the side rail, preventing further movement or sliding.

Contrast this with the slider assemblies 20 of the present disclosure and it is apparent that the unique two-piece design of slider assemblies 20 wherein the first section 44 may rotate a full 360° relative to the second section 46 allows these slider assemblies 20 to be moved along the side rails 14, 16 freely and without binding. Further, the rotation of first section 44 relative to second section 46 allows sliders 20 connecting a cross bar 18 to first side rail 14 to move independently from the sliders 20 connecting the opposite end of the same cross bar 18 to second side rail 16. The rotation of first section 44 relative to second section 46 is illustrated by arrows FF in FIG. 21B. Simultaneously to this rotation, tube arm 50 may slide in and out of the interior 19 of cross tubes 18, as indicated by arrows GG in FIG. 21B. This combination of rotation FF and sliding GG can allow cross bars 18 to be angled relative to the side rails, as indicated by arrows HH in FIG. 21B. Meanwhile, slider assemblies 20, or more specifically, clip body 62 of slider assemblies 20, are able to maintain their positions relative to side rails 14 and 16 to prevent binding or other movement restrictions.

Another advantage of the present dunnage assembly 10 over current dunnage systems is that the angling of cross bars 18 relative to side rails 14 and 16 further causes bags 24 to be angled relative to the sides 40 and 42 of the container 12, which can, in turn, allow dunnage assembly 10 to accommodate goods of a size slightly larger than the side-to-side width of container 12. In this configuration, the goods may likewise be angled relative to the side walls of container 12 allowing slightly larger items to be shipped.

With reference to FIGS. 22 and 23, as discussed above, shoulders 34 may be used to support first and second side rails 14 and 16 within mounting plates 26, 28, 30 and/or 32, however, shoulders 34 may also be utilized to lock sling assembly 21 and bags 24 in place during shipment. As best seen in FIG. 22, when utilizing slider assemblies 20, the lock arm 78 of shoulder 34 may extend through notch 106 and parallel to the side rails 14, 16 towards the inside of container 12. As seen in FIG. 23, when the outermost slider 20 is moved (e.g. in direction EE from FIG. 21B) and into contact with the shoulder 34, lock arm 78 may extend over the outer surface 64 of clip body 62 where the angled terminus 88 of lock arm 78 may engage the clip body 62 and hold it in place against shoulder 34. Since the bags 24 of sling assembly 21 are all interconnected, locking slider assemblies 20 in each of the four corners of container 12 can prevent sling assembly 21, as a whole, from moving or shifting during shipment. Further, the side walls 25 of bags 24 may help maintain the positional relationships between slider assemblies 20, cross bars 18 and cross bars 18 to keep bags 24 more secured during shipping.

When it is no longer desirable to have the corner sliders 20 locked, the lock arm 78 may be pulled outwards away from the clip body 62 of slider 20, and the slider 20 may be moved away from shoulder 34 to release it from its locked position.

With reference to FIGS. 24A and 24B, when utilizing sliders 220 and shoulders 234, the locking aspects of the sliders 220 and shoulders 234 may operate similarly except that lock arm 278 would extend up and over the upright member 254 of second section 246 to engage and lock slider 220, in place as illustrated in FIG. 24B.

The unique design of sliders 20, 220 having clip body 62, 262 that snaps down and over side rails 14 and 16 allows for the side rails 14, 16 to be installed in the container before the sling assembly 21 and bags 24 are inserted. This allows for dunnage assembly 10 to be customized for the specific shipping needs, including easily reworking or reconfiguring dunnage assembly 10 to accommodate different goods in different shipments. For example, when a first shipment of goods is complete, sliders 20, 220 may be removed from side rails 14, 16 and an alternate configuration, e.g. a different number or size of sling assemblies 10 having a different number or size of bags 24, may be substituted to accommodate a different set of goods in a subsequent shipment.

With reference to FIGS. 25-29, container 12 is contemplated to be a shipping container, which may typically be constructed to be collapsed for return shipping. In doing so, container 12 may be reduced in size and weight to reduce return shipping costs. Currently, when containers, such as container 12 are used with dunnage systems disposed therein, present dunnage systems typically must be removed prior to collapsing container 12 down for return shipping. Once these dunnage systems are removed, the containers 12 can be collapsed with the ends 36 and 38 folded in first and the sides 40 and 42 folded down next to reduce the size and volume of the container.

Utilizing mounting plates 526, 528, 530, and 532, as discussed herein, can allow the dunnage assembly 10 of the present disclosure to remain within container 12 while the container 12 is collapsed for return shipping. To accomplish this, dunnage system 10 may be installed as discussed previously herein, with the exception that shoulders 34 may be installed through central channel 616 of mounting plates 526, 528, 530, and 532, which may then be installed within container 12 by affixing the upper and lower plates 610 and 612 to the ends 36, 38 of container 12 with joint 614 aligned with, or in close proximity to, a hinge 122 on the ends 36, 38 of container 12. Central channel 616 of mounting plates 526, 528, 530, and 532 allows sling assemblies 22 and side rails 14 and 16 to drop into the bottom of container 12 prior to collapsing ends 36 and 38.

This embodiment may utilize rotatable hooks 618 and locking pin 620 to keep side rails 14 and 16 in place when dunnage assembly 10 is being used for shipping goods while allowing the rails 14, 16 and dunnage assembly 10 to be collapsed with container 12.

When used for shipping, side rails 14 16 may be raised into the desired position within central channel 616 and hooks 618 may be rotated to support side rails 14 and/or 16 (FIG. 25). Lock pin 620 may be inserted through an opening 621 defined in mounting plates 526, 528, 530, and 532 to further secure hooks 618 in place and prevent them from undesired rotation, as best seen in FIGS. 25-27. This arrangement can further support the dunnage assembly 10 and associated goods contained therein during shipping.

As best seen in FIG. 27, spacers 624 may be used to keep mounting plates 526, 528, 530, and 532 slightly separated from container 12 ends 36, 38 to allow room for the collar flange 76 of shoulders 34 to move up and down within central slot 616.

When it is then desired to collapse dunnage assembly 10 into the bottom of container 12, the lock pins 620 may be removed from the opening 621, thus allowing hooks 618 to be rotated down and away from side rails 14 and 16 as indicated by arrow II in FIG. 28. Side bars 14, 16, and the remaining dunnage assembly 10 components may then drop into the lower plate 612, thereby collapsing the dunnage assembly 10 into the bottom or container 12. The movement of side bars 14 (and 14A as illustrated) is indicated by arrow JJ in FIG. 28.

With reference to FIG. 29, now that dunnage assembly 10 (10A and 10B, as illustrated) is collapsed into the bottom of container 12, the ends 36 and 38 may be rotated about the hinge 122 in the direction of arrow KK while upper plate 610 may also rotate in the direction of arrow KK relative to lower plate 612 about joint 614, thus allowing the ends 36, 38 of container 12 to be collapsed for return shipment of container 12. Once the ends 36, 38 are so folded, the sides 40 and 42 of container 12 may be folded in according to their normal operation. At this point, container 12 is fully collapsed into its compact form for return shipping with dunnage assembly 10 and/or assemblies 10A and 10B contained therein.

While various inventive embodiments have been described and illustrated herein, those of ordinary skill in the art will readily envision a variety of other means and/or structures for performing the function and/or obtaining the results and/or one or more of the advantages described herein, and each of such variations and/or modifications is deemed to be within the scope of the inventive embodiments described herein. More generally, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that all parameters, dimensions, materials, and configurations described herein are meant to be exemplary and that the actual parameters, dimensions, materials, and/or configurations will depend upon the specific application or applications for which the inventive teachings is/are used. Those skilled in the art will recognize, or be able to ascertain using no more than routine experimentation, many equivalents to the specific inventive embodiments described herein. It is, therefore, to be understood that the foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only and that, within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereto, inventive embodiments may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described and claimed. Inventive embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to each individual feature, system, article, material, kit, and/or method described herein. In addition, any combination of two or more such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and/or methods, if such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and/or methods are not mutually inconsistent, is included within the inventive scope of the present disclosure.

All definitions, as defined and used herein, should be understood to control over dictionary definitions, definitions in documents incorporated by reference, and/or ordinary meanings of the defined terms.

The articles “a” and “an,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims, unless clearly indicated to the contrary, should be understood to mean “at least one.” The phrase “and/or,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims (if at all), should be understood to mean “either or both” of the elements so conjoined, i.e., elements that are conjunctively present in some cases and disjunctively present in other cases. Multiple elements listed with “and/or” should be construed in the same fashion, i.e., “one or more” of the elements so conjoined. Other elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified by the “and/or” clause, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a nonlimiting example, a reference to “A and/or B”, when used in conjunction with open-ended language such as “comprising” can refer, in one embodiment, to A only (optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to B only (optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to both A and B (optionally including other elements); etc. As used herein in the specification and in the claims, “or” should be understood to have the same meaning as “and/or” as defined above. For example, when separating items in a list, “or” or “and/or” shall be interpreted as being inclusive, i.e., the inclusion of at least one, but also including more than one, of a number or list of elements, and, optionally, additional unlisted items. Only terms clearly indicated to the contrary, such as “only one of” or “exactly one of,” or, when used in the claims, “consisting of,” will refer to the inclusion of exactly one element of a number or list of elements. In general, the term “or” as used herein shall only be interpreted as indicating exclusive alternatives (i.e. “one or the other but not both”) when preceded by terms of exclusivity, such as “either,” “one of,” “only one of,” or “exactly one of.” “Consisting essentially of,” when used in the claims, shall have its ordinary meaning as used in the field of patent law.

As used herein in the specification and in the claims, the phrase “at least one,” in reference to a list of one or more elements, should be understood to mean at least one element selected from any one or more of the elements in the list of elements, but not necessarily including at least one of each and every element specifically listed within the list of elements and not excluding any combinations of elements in the list of elements. This definition also allows that elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified within the list of elements to which the phrase “at least one” refers, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a nonlimiting example, “at least one of A and B” (or, equivalently, “at least one of A or B,” or, equivalently “at least one of A and/or B”) can refer, in one embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, A, with no B present (and optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, B, with no A present (and optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, A, and at least one, optionally including more than one, B (and optionally including other elements); etc.

When a feature or element is herein referred to as being “on” another feature or element, it can be directly on the other feature or element or intervening features and/or elements may also be present. In contrast, when a feature or element is referred to as being “directly on” another feature or element, there are no intervening features or elements present. It will also be understood that, when a feature or element is referred to as being “connected”, “attached” or “coupled” to another feature or element, it can be directly connected, attached or coupled to the other feature or element or intervening features or elements may be present. In contrast, when a feature or element is referred to as being “directly connected”, “directly attached” or “directly coupled” to another feature or element, there are no intervening features or elements present. Although described or shown with respect to one embodiment, the features and elements so described or shown can apply to other embodiments. It will also be appreciated by those of skill in the art that references to a structure or feature that is disposed “adjacent” another feature may have portions that overlap or underlie the adjacent feature.

Spatially relative terms, such as “under”, “below”, “lower”, “over”, “upper”, “above”, “behind”, “in front of”, and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. It will be understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if a device in the figures is inverted, elements described as “under” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “over” the other elements or features. Thus, the exemplary term “under” can encompass both an orientation of over and under. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly. Similarly, the terms “upwardly”, “downwardly”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, “lateral”, “transverse”, “longitudinal”, and the like are used herein for the purpose of explanation only unless specifically indicated otherwise.

Although the terms “first” and “second” may be used herein to describe various features/elements, these features/elements should not be limited by these terms, unless the context indicates otherwise. These terms may be used to distinguish one feature/element from another feature/element. Thus, a first feature/element discussed herein could be termed a second feature/element, and similarly, a second feature/element discussed herein could be termed a first feature/element without departing from the teachings of the present invention.

An embodiment is an implementation or example of the present disclosure. Reference in the specification to “an embodiment,” “one embodiment,” “some embodiments,” “one particular embodiment,” “an exemplary embodiment,” or “other embodiments,” or the like, means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiments is included in at least some embodiments, but not necessarily all embodiments, of the invention. The various appearances “an embodiment,” “one embodiment,” “some embodiments,” “one particular embodiment,” “an exemplary embodiment,” or “other embodiments,” or the like, are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiments.

If this specification states a component, feature, structure, or characteristic “may”, “might”, or “could” be included, that particular component, feature, structure, or characteristic is not required to be included. If the specification or claim refers to “a” or “an” element, that does not mean there is only one of the element. If the specification or claims refer to “an additional” element, that does not preclude there being more than one of the additional element.

Additionally, the method of performing the present disclosure may occur in a sequence different than those described herein. Accordingly, no sequence of the method should be read as a limitation unless explicitly stated. It is recognizable that performing some of the steps of the method in a different order could achieve a similar result.

In the claims, as well as in the specification above, all transitional phrases such as “comprising,” “including,” “carrying,” “having,” “containing,” “involving,” “holding,” “composed of,” and the like are to be understood to be open-ended, i.e., to mean including but not limited to. Only the transitional phrases “consisting of” and “consisting essentially of” shall be closed or semi-closed transitional phrases, respectively, as set forth in the United States Patent Office Manual of Patent Examining Procedures.

In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness, and understanding. No unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art because such terms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadly construed.

Moreover, the description and illustration of various embodiments of the disclosure are examples and the disclosure is not limited to the exact details shown or described. 

1. A method of installing a dunnage assembly comprising: installing a first side rail within a container; installing a second side rail within the container; connecting at least one cross bar to a sling assembly; connecting a first section of at least one slider assembly to the at least one cross bar; flexing a second section of the at least one slider assembly down over one of the first side rail and the second side rail to engage the respective side rail; and supporting the sling assembly, the at least one cross bar, and the at least one slider assembly between the first and second side rails and within the container.
 2. The method of claim 1 further comprising: connecting a first section of one of at least two slider assemblies to a first end of the at least one cross bar; connecting a first section of the other of the at least two slider assemblies to a second end of the at least one cross bar; and flexing a second section of the at least two slider assemblies over the first side rail at the first end of the at least one cross bar and over the second side rail at the second end of the at least one cross bar.
 3. The method of claim 2 further comprising: rotating the first section of the at least two slider assemblies relative to the second section of the at least two slider assemblies; and simultaneously sliding the second section of the at least two slider assemblies along the first and second side rails, respectively.
 4. The method of claim 3 further comprising: placing at least one item to be shipped within a bag in the sling assembly.
 5. The method of claim 3 further comprising: moving the at least one cross bar between a first position wherein the at least one cross bar is perpendicular relative to the first and second side rails and a second position wherein the at least one cross bar is angled relative to the first and second side rails.
 6. The method of claim 5 wherein moving the at least one cross bar between the first and second positions is accomplished by the rotation of the first section of the at least two slider assemblies relative to the second section of the at least two slider assemblies and by the sliding of the second section of the at least two slider assemblies relative to the first and second side rails.
 7. The method of claim 6 further comprising: placing at least one item to be shipped within a bag in the sling assembly that is longer than a width of the container in which the dunnage assembly is installed when the at least one cross bar is in the second position.
 8. The method of claim 7 further comprising: locking one of the at least two slider assemblies in place on the first side rail; and locking the other one of the at least two slider assemblies in place on the second side rail.
 9. The method of claim 8 wherein locking the at least two slider assemblies is accomplished by engaging a lock arm with the second section of the at least two slider assemblies.
 10. The method of claim 2 further comprising: removing the sling assembly from the dunnage assembly by disengaging the at least two slider assemblies from engagement with the first and second side rails; reconfiguring the sling assembly into a second configuration; and reengaging the at least two slider assemblies with the first and second side rails.
 11. The method of claim 10 wherein removing the sling assembly from the dunnage assembly further comprises: flexing the second portion of the at least two slider assemblies up and off of the first and second side rails.
 12. A method of collapsing a container with a dunnage assembly installed therein comprising: securing a first side rail in a first position within a container; securing a second side rail in a first position within the container; connecting at least one cross bar to the first and second side rails via at least two slider assemblies having a first section operably connected to the at least one cross bar and a second section operable to engage one of the first side rail and the second side rail, wherein the first section of the at least two slider assemblies is rotatable relative to the second section; supporting a sling assembly operably connected to the at least one cross bar between the first and second side rails; moving the first and second side rails to a second position within the container, thereby causing the sling assembly, the at least one cross bar, and the at least two slider assemblies to collapse within the container; and collapsing the container with the dunnage assembly enclosed therein.
 13. The method of claim 12 further comprising: installing a plurality of mounting plates within the container, with each of the plurality of mounting plates having a channel defined therein for operable connection with the first and second side rails.
 14. The method of claim 13 further comprising: inserting a plurality of shoulders operably connected to the first and second side bars through the channels defined in the plurality of mounting plates; and engaging a lock arm of the plurality of shoulders with one of the at least two slider assemblies to lock the slider assembly in place on the respective side rail adjacent to the respective shoulder.
 15. The method of claim 12 wherein collapsing the container further comprises: rotating a first and second end of the container about a hinge aligned with a joint between an upper plate and lower plate of the plurality of mounting plates; and rotating a first and second side of the container about a hinge therein.
 16. The method of claim 12 wherein securing the first and second side rails in the first position further comprises: engaging at least one rotatable hook with the first and second side rails to hold the first and second side rails in the first position.
 17. The method of claim 16 wherein moving the first and second side rails to the second position further comprises: disengaging the at least one rotatable hook from the first and second side rails; and allowing the first and second side rails to fall into the bottom of the container.
 18. The method of claim 12 further comprising: rotating the first section of the at least two slider assemblies relative to the second section of at least two slider assemblies; and simultaneously sliding the second section of at least two slider assemblies along the first and second side rails.
 19. The method of claim 18 further comprising: moving the at least one cross bar between a first position wherein the at least one cross bar is perpendicular relative to the first and second side rails and a second position wherein the at least one cross bar is angled relative to the first and second side rails; wherein moving the at least one cross bar between the first and second position is accomplished by the rotation of the first section of the at least two slider assemblies relative to the second section of the at least two slider assemblies.
 20. The method of claim 19 further comprising: placing at least one item to be shipped within a bag in the sling assembly that is longer than a width of the container. 